Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people who have made up a flood kit; and what steps he is taking to encourage people to make up kits.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency has made no estimate of the number of people who have made up flood kits; however, their 'Preparing for a flood' guide encourages people to produce flood kits. This is available on the Environment Agency's website or from its Floodline call centre. Since March 2008, a copy has been sent to everyone that registers for the Environment Agency's free flood warning service.
	Since December 2007, the Environment Agency has distributed over 260,000 'Preparing for a flood' guides.

Water Charges

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish a summary of representations he has received from members of the public on water rates in the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: My Department has received a range of representations on water charges in the last five years, however, a substantive summary of these representations could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Water Companies: Carbon Emissions

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment Ofwat has made of the performance of water companies in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Ofwat published details of the water companies greenhouse gas emissions in its report 'Service and delivery—performance of water companies in England and Wales 2007-08'.
	A copy of the report has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Bus Services: Concessions

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what estimate he has made of changes in levels of usage of bus services since the introduction of concessionary fares schemes in  (a) 2002 and  (b) 2008.

Sadiq Khan: holding answer 16 June 2009
	Table A is based on figures published today by the Department for Transport in Bus and Light Rail Statistics: Q1 2009, shows the current estimates for bus journeys in England for each financial year since 2000-01.
	Over the period covered by the table there were three major changes in the concessionary fares scheme:
	June 2001: Statutory minimum bus concessionary fares were introduced in England. Local authorities had to offer a concession of at least half the single fare to women aged 60 and over, men aged 65 and over.
	April 2006: Free concessionary bus travel within the local authority was introduced in England for disabled passengers and those aged 60 or over. Some authorities continued to fund travel into other areas or on other modes of transport in their area at their discretion.
	April 2008: Free off-peak local bus travel for older and eligible disabled people was extended nationally in England.
	
		
			  Table A: Bus journeys—England, 2000-01 to 2008-09 
			   Local bus journeys (million)  Year-on-year percentage change 
			 2000-01 3,842  
			 2001-02 3,881 1.0 
			 2002-03 3,964 2.1 
			 2003-04 4,087 3.1 
			 2004-05 4,140 1.3 
			 2005-06 4,196 1.3 
			 2006-07 4,470 6.5 
			 2007-08 4,530 1.3 
			 2008-09(1) 4,674 3.2 
			 (1) Provisional.  Source: Bus and Light Rail Statistics: Q1 2009

Diesel Fuel: EU Action

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether a mechanism exists for EU member states to seek a temporary derogation from the EU sulphur specification for diesel fuel; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: EU requirements on the quality of petrol and diesel are defined in the Fuel Quality Directive 98/70/EC as amended. Article 7 of this directive permits member states to apply for a derogation from these requirements for up to 6 months in the event that a sudden change to the supply of crude oil or petroleum products makes it difficult for refineries to comply.
	We understand this derogation to be intended to accommodate major, unexpected disruptions to oil supplies only. The directive does not contain any other derogations which could be applied in respect of the supply of sulphur free diesel in the UK.

Roads: East of England

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how much funding his Department allocated for the construction of highways in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding his Department allocated for the creation of additional lanes on highways in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England region in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The following tables highlight how much funding the Department for Transport has allocated for the construction of highways and the creation of additional lanes on highways in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England Region in each year since 1997:
	
		
			  Table 1:  Mid  Bedfordshire 
			  £ million 
			   Highways agency schemes  Local major road schemes (including maintenance) 
			 1997-2001 0.0 0.255 
			 2001-02 0.0 1.400 
			 2002-03 0.0 3.930 
			 2003-04 1.0 1.665 
			 2004-05 5.1 0.175 
			 2005-06 12.2 0.0 
			 2006-07 25.3 8.825 
			 2007-08 21.5 7.505 
			 2008-09 41.2 2.547 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: East of England (including Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Thurrock) 
			  £ million 
			   Highways agency schemes  Local major road schemes (including maintenance) 
			 1997-2001 40.7 2.602 
			 2001-02 47.63 13.930 
			 2002-03 153.3 13.267 
			 2003-04 72.5 13.953 
			 2004-05 48.5 35.908 
			 2005-06 122.6 31.026 
			 2006-07 180.8 32.170 
			 2007-08 161.7 9.655 
			 2008-09 166.5 9.376

Transport: East of England

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has allocated for the construction of bus lanes in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has allocated for the construction of bicycle paths in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how much funding his Department has allocated for the construction of footpaths in  (a) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and  (b) the East of England in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport allocates integrated transport block and highways maintenance funding to local transport authorities for capital investment in transport. Funding provided by the Department to local authorities is not generally ring-fenced and local authorities have discretion to spend their allocations in line with their priorities, which may include bicycle paths, bus lanes and footpaths. Allocations provided to Bedfordshire and the Eastern Region since 1997 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Bedfordshire  Eastern region 
			 2008-09 9.286 157.771 
			 2007-08 7.751 159.476 
			 2006-07 9.573 157.826 
			 2005-06 9.351 156.899 
			 2004-05 8.001 156.586 
			 2003-04 7.364 141.735 
			 2002-03 6.591 140.193 
			 2001-02 7.147 137.774 
			 2000-01 4.017 56.608 
			 1999-2000 4.602 52.125 
			 1998-99 3.070 32.150 
			 1997-98 3.692 41.203 
			  Note: Since 2000 the allocations comprise integrated transport block grant and highways maintenance. Prior to 2000 the allocations are in the form of gross approved spending. 
		
	
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's Formula Grant.
	The Department also provided specific funding for:
	1. In 2008-09, the Department made available £117,000 to Bedfordshire and Luton borough for their Cycling Demonstration Town. In the same year, the East of England region was also allocated £548,000. This was made up of capital and revenue funding.
	2. The cycling programme—'Links to Schools'—set up in the East of England received capital funding from the Department. The amounts are stated in the table:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2008-09 195,000 
			 For Bedfordshire, Luton borough (120,000) 
			   
			 2007-08 76,136 
			 For Bedfordshire (0) 
			   
			 2006-07 276,531 
			 For Bedfordshire (0) 
			   
			 2005-06 235,000 
			 For Bedfordshire (0)

Transport: Finance

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on transport in  (a) South Tyneside,  (b) Tyne and Wear,  (c) the North East and  (d) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much capital expenditure on roads there was in  (a) the North East and  (b) England in each year since 1997.

Sadiq Khan: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 28 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 535-6W.
	In addition, I also refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Beverley and Holderness (Mr. Stuart) on 28 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 534-536W. This provided tables showing the available data on regional expenditure on new construction/improvement and structural maintenance on motorways and trunk roads, as well as regional expenditure on new improvement for highways, lighting, road safety and structural maintenance on local roads for 1999-2000 to 2006-07. The data do not enable new road construction to be identified as a separate category.
	The Department has provided the following support for public transport major schemes in the north-east.
	 Tyne and Wear
	Stephenson Link (£6.444 million)
	Four Lane Ends Interchange (£7.625 million)
	Centrelink and Gateshead Interchange (£17.442 million)
	NewcastleGateshead Quaylink (£4.74 million)
	Eldon Square Bus Station (£10.970 million)
	 Rest of  north- east
	Durham Park and Ride (£9.163 million)
	 Tyne and Wear Metro
	The Department has provided the following sums to support the operation of the Tyne and Wear Metro. It is not possible to split this expenditure between South Tyneside and the other Tyne and Wear local authority areas.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Revenue support  Capital support  Total subsidy 
			 1996-97 8.795 — 8.795 
			 1997-98 8.619 — 8.619 
			 1998-99 8.630 — 8.630 
			 1999-2000 9.428 — 9.428 
			 2000-01 9.787 — 9.787 
			 2001-02 9.884 — 9.884 
			 2002-03 11.831 — 11.831 
			 2003-04 13.407 — 13.407 
			 2004-05 15.952 — 15.952 
			 2005-06 13.713 4.180 17.893 
			 2006-07 18.057 4.305 22.362 
			 2007-08 20.779 4.391 25.170 
			 2008-09 19.943 7.131 27.074 
		
	
	Up to and including 2004-05, grant was provided solely as revenue support although Nexus were able to use this for capital spending on the Metro. Since then the annual subsidy has included a separately identifiable amount for capital spend.
	Additionally the Department has provided the following specific funding for the Tyne and Wear Metro:
	
		
			  Purpose  Year  Amount (£ million) 
			 Extension of the Metro to Sunderland 1999-2000 to 2003-04 37.465 
			 Metrocar refurbishment 2000-01 0.46 
			 Four Lane Ends Bus/Metro Interchange 2002-03 to 2004-05 7.625 
			 CCTV provision 2000-01 7.2 
			 Development costs for Metro Reinvigoration 2008-09 3.155 
		
	
	For total transport expenditure in England, table 1.15 of Transport Statistics Great Britain 2008 provides central and local Government expenditure:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2008edition/sectiononemodalcomparisons.pdf
	The Treasury provides a breakdown of regional spend by service in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. The latest figures for public expenditure on transport are given in table 9.9 and 9.10:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/10(1).pdf
	Before 1 April 2008, funding for the statutory minimum bus concession was provided exclusively through the Formula Grant system, which is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). The Department for Transport therefore provided no separate funding for concessionary bus travel from 2001, when the statutory minimum was first introduced, until 2008.
	The Department provided funding in 2007-08 for the cost of producing and issuing the new England-wide bus passes to all those eligible.
	In 2008-09 and 2009-10 special grant funding is being provided by DFT to meet the additional cost of the new, England-wide concession.
	Concessionary fares funding
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 South Tyneside 0 0 0 
			 Tyne and Wear 0.94 5.38 5.50 
			 North East 2.14 10.31 10.56 
			 
			 England 30.48 212 217

International Assistance

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's latest assessment is of progress in relation to the achievement of the millennium development goals.

Michael Foster: The UN conducts the official assessment of progress towards the millennium development goals (MDGs). Their latest report relating to 2008 found that the global collective effort is yielding results and that progress is being made globally towards achieving many of the MDGs even in some of the more challenging regions. A number of targets are expected to be reached by their target dates in 2015. The report is available at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications/mdg-factsheets/mdg-report-2008.pdf
	The Department for International Development (DFID) also conducts an annual assessment of progress towards key MDG targets at a country level based on international data. The latest assessment was published in its 2008 autumn performance report (copies of which are also in the parliamentary Library):
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/publications/aut-perf-report-08.pdf

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian needs of people in Tamil areas and camps for internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: Since October 2008, more than 284,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) have been registered in Government controlled IDP camps. Freedom of movement is denied in the camps except for some vulnerable groups and the elderly. The remaining IDPs are under military guard. Protection in the camps is a matter of concern. The Department for International Development (DFID) is particularly concerned for the war wounded, malnourished and those separated from their families—including unaccompanied children. The camps are overcrowded and have poor water and sanitation facilitates. Hospitals, such as those in Vavuniya and Mannar, are also overcrowded, having more patients than they can effectively treat.
	Access for humanitarian agencies has improved this week, however it remains inconsistent. Continued poor access has impeded agencies ability to improve the conditions in the camps which remain of concern.
	The UK Government continue to press the Government of Sri Lanka to allow full and unrestricted humanitarian access to all IDPs, to treat IDPs in accordance with accepted international standards and guidelines; and for the their rapid and safe return from the camps to their homes.

Sri Lanka: Overseas Aid

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the proportion of humanitarian aid to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka from  (a) his Department,  (b) the EU and  (c) the UN which was delivered (i) via Sri Lankan Government agencies, (ii) via non-governmental organisations and (iii) directly in the latest period for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Since September 2008, the Department for International Development (DFID) has allocated £12.5 million of humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka. Of this, £2.8 million has been provided to UN agencies, £1.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), £1.235 million to the International Organisation for Migration and £1.050 million to NGOs for a wide range of life saving humanitarian activities. Approximately £6.0 million remains to respond rapidly to further needs on the ground and for early recovery when the displaced population are able to return home. No funding has been provided to Sri Lankan Government agencies.
	 (b) The European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) has pledged US$3,952 million for UN organisations, the ICRC and NGOs for 2009.
	 (c) The UN Consolidated Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) 2009 for Sri Lanka includes both UN and non-governmental organisations. As of 5 June the CHAP was funded to 40 per cent. at US$61,594,766. An additional $28,143,620 has been pledged to UN and NGO activities outside the CHAP.
	DFID funding through the EU mechanism or to the UN should be allocated directly to implementing partners (UN agencies, NGOs and the ICRC).

Zimbabwe: Overseas Aid

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the merits of renewing direct aid provision to Zimbabwe.

Douglas Alexander: The UK Government are committed to supporting the people of Zimbabwe in the transition to stabilisation and recovery and has been at the forefront of efforts by the international community to support the needs of the Inclusive Government.
	Our assistance is aligned to Government priorities but is not currently channelled through its financial systems. We have made it clear, in all our discussions with Ministers and officials from the Inclusive Government, that credible progress and demonstration of a commitment to reform will attract increasing support from donors and other international partners, potentially including direct aid provision. We look forward to working together towards establishing a longer-term development partnership which will address the deeper roots of Zimbabwe's problems.

Eritrea: Christianity

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Eritrean government on the imprisonment of Christians in that country.

Ivan Lewis: Our embassy in Asmara is aware of reports of the detention without charge by the Eritrean Government of members of minority religious groups along with journalists, leading political figures and members of civil society along with returned asylum seekers. This contravenes international human rights agreements to which Eritrea is a party and is unacceptable. Eritrea should allow all its citizens to worship as they wish, as set out in Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
	The UK raises human rights issues including religious freedom with the Eritrean Government both in Asmara and with the Eritrean ambassador to London on a regular basis. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, raised human rights with the Eritrean ambassador at the end of last year.
	A huge obstacle to achieving any progress on human rights in Eritrea is that the Eritrean police and security services are not willing to engage with our embassy on human rights abuses. This makes following up reports of any abuses, including imprisonments, very difficult.
	The EU has also tried to discuss human rights as part of the Article 8 Political Dialogue with Eritrea. Unfortunately, since initial discussions earlier this year the Government of Eritrea has twice refused to have human rights included on the Article 8 Dialogue agenda for discussion.
	We will continue to raise human rights, including the detention without charge of minority religious groups, with the Eritrean authorities.

Eritrea: Human Rights

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Eritrean government on allegations of human rights abuses in that country.

Ivan Lewis: The UK raises human rights issues with the Eritrean Government both in Asmara and with the Eritrean ambassador to London on a regular basis, highlighting the amount of public and parliamentary interest we receive. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, raised human rights with the Eritrean ambassador at the end of last year.
	We also discuss human rights as part of the EU via the Article 8 Political Dialogue, EU Heads of Mission producing a human rights report at the end of January to discuss with the Government of Eritrea. Unfortunately, since initial discussions earlier this year the Government of Eritrea has twice refused to have human rights included on the Article 8 Dialogue agenda for discussion.
	We will continue to press to get human rights discussions back on the Article 8 Dialogue agenda.

EU Institutions: Manpower

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2009,  Official Report, column 1312W, on EC institutions: manpower, what steps he has taken to increase the number of Civil Service fast streamers working in European Union institutions.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are continuing to engage with the EU institutions as they introduce reforms to recruitment competitions, seek to increase their outreach activities, and develop their staffing policy. Government Departments are currently discussing whether a revised version of the European Fast Stream should be reintroduced for 2010 and what form it would take. DEFRA are leading on an initiative to increase EU professionalism across the civil service, including increasing the number of UK nationals applying for and passing the EU's recruitment competitions.

Hezbollah

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria will be used in deciding which members of Hezbollah's political wing officials should meet.

Ivan Lewis: Our objective with Hezbollah is to urge them to reject violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with UN Security Council Resolutions. We believe that occasional and carefully considered contacts with Hezbollah's politicians, including its MPs, will best advance this objective. The distinction is between those members of Hezbollah who are legitimately involved in Lebanese politics and those who are involved in violence and support terrorism.

Hezbollah

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts the Government has had with Hezbollah's political wing since its recent change of policy on contacts with that organisation.

Ivan Lewis: On 9 January 2009 our ambassador in Beirut attended a meeting of British parliamentarians with the Lebanese Foreign Affairs Committee. Representatives of all members of the National Unity Government were present, including one MP from Hezbollah's political wing, Ali Amar. During this meeting the ambassador urged all sides to show restraint during the crisis in Gaza, and on the importance of all sides respecting the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. In the course of normal diplomatic business, staff at our embassy in Beirut have also met Hezbollah politicians on a number of occasions.
	We continue to believe that occasional and carefully considered contacts with Hezbollah's politicians, including its MPs, will best advance our objective of urging Hezbollah to reject violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with UN Security Council Resolutions.

Iraq: Reconstruction

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2009,  Official Report, column 512W, on departmental public expenditure, for what reasons his Department has determined that it is more cost-effective to manage major contracts in Iraq in London.

Ivan Lewis: It is more cost effective to manage the major contracts from London as support costs for the responsible officers are significantly lower than for officers based in Iraq.

Nepal: Diplomatic Service

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what channels of communication his Department has with British nationals in Nepal.

Ivan Lewis: Our embassies and high commissions use a number of channels to communicate with British nationals. These include travel advice, wardens networks, LOCATE—an on-line registering facility, the internet and local media.

North Korea: Nuclear Weapons

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with his  (a) Chinese and  (b) Russian counterpart to discuss the nuclear threat from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the last two years.

Ivan Lewis: China and Russia have both been key players in the Six Party Talks on Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) denuclearisation, and the UK has maintained close dialogue with both Governments at ministerial, ambassadorial and working levels. My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary discussed DPRK with Russian colleagues at the last meeting of G8 Foreign Ministers, and with Chinese colleagues at the UK-China Summit in February 2009.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Sri Lanka on the treatment of those who provided medical and financial assistance to the Tamil people during the recent conflict in that country.

Ivan Lewis: We are aware of reports of the ongoing detention of individuals who provided medical assistance during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made representations on their behalf to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Bogollagama, most recently when they met in London on 5 June 2009.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of civilians killed  (a) by the Sri Lankan army and  (b) by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam in the recent conflict in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: During the recent conflict in Sri Lanka there have been many conflicting reports of the number of civilians killed by both sides, particularly in the final weeks of the fighting. As the conflict took place without independent monitoring and with severe restrictions on the media, it is very difficult to estimate the number of casualties or who were responsible. As such, we fully endorse the EU's call for an independent inquiry into the recent conflict in Sri Lanka. This would play an important part in the post-conflict reconciliation process.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Sri Lanka on the freedom of the press  (a) in Sri Lanka and  (b) to visit and report on (i) Tamil areas and (ii) camps for internally displaced persons; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have regularly called on the Sri Lankan Government to take decisive action to guarantee press freedom in Sri Lanka, following a number of attacks and intimidation of the media. We have also called on them to allow access to the camps set up for internally displaced people.
	The UK raised our concerns about media freedom in Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council Session in March 2009. My right hon. friend the Foreign Secretary's most recent statement on Sri Lanka was on 19 May 2009,  Official Report, column 73WS.

Sri Lanka: International Assistance

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan government on its recent decision to turn away the Vanni Mercy Mission ship MV Captain Ali; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have had no discussions with the Government of Sri Lanka about the ship, MV Captain Ali, since it left Sri Lankan waters. Our clear position throughout has been that assistance should be delivered through the correct humanitarian channels and with the necessary clearances.
	We remain greatly concerned at the humanitarian situation facing the 280,000 civilians displaced by the recent fighting in Sri Lanka and have committed a total of £12.5 million of humanitarian assistance since September 2008, channelled through UN and independent humanitarian agencies.
	We continue to press for full and unhindered access to the UN and other humanitarian organisations on the ground.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and stability of the power-sharing government in Zimbabwe.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 15 June 2009
	 Through its Global Political Agreement (GPA), the Inclusive Government (IG) has committed itself to a package of reforms that will restore security and welfare to Zimbabwe's people, and promote respect for human rights and the rule of law. It has made an effective start to this work: a credible short term economic recovery plan (STERP) has been published and is beginning to be acted upon, and the payment of public workers has seen some civic organs functioning again. However several vital aspects of the GPA remain to be implemented; the continued harassment of human rights defenders, arbitrary arrests and intimidation, increased farm invasions and lack of press freedom all remain a concern. Without major progress in these areas the IG will not have kept its promises to the Zimbabwean people, and the international community will be unable fully to re-engage with Zimbabwe.
	Tensions and differences of attitude to reform and its pace remain; not surprising when the IG brings together erstwhile political foes. We will continue to look actively for ways of supporting the IG in its efforts to achieve reforms, offering assistance which promotes and strengthens positive change. We are in regular contact with the Government to discuss how this can best be achieved and maintain close dialogue on this with our EU and international partners.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the time taken by the Financial Ombudsman Service to deal with complaints; what monitoring takes place of the time taken by the Financial Ombudsman Service to respond to complaints; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The Government have received representations regarding the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) following a sudden and unprecedented influx of cases about payment protection insurance and credit card charges, which has meant that waiting times at the FOS are currently longer than the FOS and its users would like.
	The Financial Services Authority (FSA) approves the budget of the FOS and has a duty to ensure that the FOS is at all times capable of exercising its functions. The FSA has approved an increase in the FOS' budget enabling them to implement a range of initiatives to deal this influx and the FOS are confident that the FOS will be able to work through these challenges effectively in the months ahead.

Landfill Tax

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2009,  Official Report, column 910W, on taxation: construction, if he will take into account the environmental impact of sourcing of the construction materials that become landfill waste in determining levels of landfill tax; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: In addition to the lower rate of landfill tax for inert waste, the Government introduced aggregates levy in 2002 with the primary objective of internalising the environmental costs of quarrying on commercially exploited rock, sand and gravel. The levy encourages the use of recycled aggregates and alternative materials. The levy has been a significant factor in reducing sales of virgin aggregates in England by around 18 million tonnes between 2001 and 2005, with an estimated increase in the use of recycled aggregate of nearly six million tonnes.

Revenue and Customs: Closures

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) planned office closures on average times taken by HMRC to reply to correspondence from members of the public.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is consolidating staff and work in fewer locations in the interests of greater efficiency. The offices to be closed are those that are surplus to business requirements, and their closure should therefore have no adverse effect on the times taken to deal with correspondence. The streamlining of processes and introduction of new working methods, including improvements to IT systems, should lead to longer term improvements in HMRC's service to customers.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Bob Spink: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what her most recent estimate is of the cost of hosting the London 2012 Olympics archery event at Lord's Cricket Ground.

Tessa Jowell: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has responsibility for staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games at existing venues. The direct costs associated with staging the events at existing venues come from LOCOG's revenues which are primarily derived from commercial sponsorship, broadcast rights, ticket sales and merchandising/licensing—not from the public purse.
	There will be attributable costs to the public purse, for example in respect of the security and transport functions associated with the venue. However these costs have not yet been identified separately for individual venues, but they will form part of the overall security and transport budgets.

Olympic Games 2012: Haringey

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what discussions her Office has had with Haringey borough to enable it to  (a) participate fully in and  (b) receive a legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I met with the Leader of Haringey council and other council officials on 6 February 2008 to discuss Haringey's plans to engage with and benefit from the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	The Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) met local councillors and business representatives on 8 January 2009 in Haringey to talk about both the employment and training opportunities across the park, and to plan events to support businesses in Haringey. Haringey is a member of the north London sub-regional partnership and the ODA hope to hold an event with this partnership before the end of 2009.

Departmental Correspondence

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of letters to his Department from hon. Members' Parliamentary offices were answered within 30 days of the date of receipt in each quarter from January 2008 to March 2009.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department aims to respond to queries from Members of Parliament and Peers within 20 working days. Performance is detailed in the Department's annual reports and is also reported to Parliament each year by written statement.
	Information relating to performance within 30 days could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much  (a) electricity and  (b) gas was used (i) on his Department's estate and (ii) by his Department's agency in each year from 2004-05 to 2008-09.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The electricity and gas used by the Department and The Royal Parks on its office estate is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Electricity Kwh  Gas Kwh 
			  Department for Culture, Media and Sport   
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 4,368,192 3,275,860 
			 2004-05 4,186,267 2,643,861 
			 2005-06 4,438,625 2,488,443 
			 2006-07 4,320,106 2,631,318 
			 2007-08 3,647,784 2,135,379 
			 2008-09 3,091,873 1,344,409 
			
			  The Royal Parks   
			 1999-2000 n/a n/a 
			 2000-01 n/a n/a 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a n/a 
			 2003-04 n/a n/a 
			 2004-05 4,141,338 1,275,682 
			 2005-06 3,346,056 1,402,580 
			 2006-07 3,220,032 1,505,334 
			 2007-08 2,995,048 1,490,492 
			 2008-09 n/a n/a 
			 n/a = Not available. 
		
	
	Data is not available prior to April 2004 and since April 2008 The Royal Parks have not recorded data on kwh consumed.

Hillsborough Disaster

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress his Department has made in identifying files and documents it holds relating to the Hillsborough disaster that can be released.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department, in partnership with other Departments, is currently developing a Government wide approach in close liaison with local agencies in South Yorkshire and beyond.

Departmental Manpower

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) directors,  (b) senior managers,  (c) specialist and delivery managers and  (d) executive support and administration staff there were in each Pensions Service office in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: The information available detailing the numbers of staff deployed overall in the former Pension Service at the end of each of the last five financial years is in the table.
	
		
			  As at March each year 
			   2005( 1)  2006( 1)  2007  2008  2009 
			 Band A/AA 1,577 1,169 1,014 830 791 
			 Band B/AO 8,816 7,425 6,765 5,790 5,557 
			 Band C/EO 4,650 4,070 3,750 3,090 2,776 
			 Band D/HEO 923 780 683 568 425 
			 Band E/SEO 271 237 309 288 245 
			 Band F/UG7 108 97 106 98 88 
			 Band G/UG6 52 46 53 73 49 
			 SCS 23 21 22 24 18 
			 Total (2)16,419 (2)13,846 (2)12,701 (2)10,762 9,949 
			 (1) March 2005 and 2006 inc. Pensions Client Group. (2) Difference of one due to roundings.  Notes: 1. Bands A/AA through to Band B/AO—administration staff of which 6,268 (99 per cent.) are deployed on benefit delivery with a just 80 (1 per cent.) deployed in Central Services (Administration). 2. Band C/EO through to Band D/HEO—junior management of which 2,639 (82 per cent.) are deployed on benefit delivery and 562 (18 per cent.) deployed in Central Services (Executive Support). 3. Band E/SEO through to Band G/G6—middle management of which 171 (45 per cent.) are deployed on benefit deliver and 211 (55 per cent.) deployed in Central Services (Specialist and Delivery Managers). 4. SCS—all Directors and senior management of which four (22 per cent.) are deployed on benefit delivery and 14 (78 per cent.) in Central Services (Directors).  Source: DWP Corporate Workforce Planning and DWP Data view as at 31 March 2009 
		
	
	 Background information
	Grading and staffing numbers in Pension Service offices over the last five years have fluctuated according to business needs. Historic data is not available to the level of detail asked for, but the summary table shows the numbers employed in each grade at the end of the last five financial years. Additionally, the number of, and location of, Pension Service offices has also changed.
	In April 2008 the merger of the Pension Service and Disability and Carer Service took place and Pensions, Disability and Carers Service was formed. There are currently 9,949 staff exclusively deployed on former Pension Service business.

Pension Credit

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what her policy is on issuing reminders to people who are due to become eligible for pension credit; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 12 June 2009
	The Government are committed to ensuring pensioners receive the support they are entitled to. The Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) contacts all pensioner households to tell them about pension credit, to ensure everyone who is likely to be entitled to pension credit knows what they need to do to take up their entitlement.
	A person approaching state pension age will receive a booklet (BR33) telling them how to claim state pension and other benefits and services they are entitled to, including pension credit.
	In addition to this, PDCS undertakes regular pension credit campaign activity through multiple channels in order to ensure additional focus on those pensioners that may be eligible.
	It is not policy to issue reminders to people about possible entitlement except as part of the targeted campaigns described above.

Pension Protection Fund

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Government plans to stand behind the Pension Protection Fund in circumstances in which its assets and contributions are not sufficient to meet claims made on it.

Angela Eagle: There is no need for the Government to guarantee the Pension Protection Fund. The PPF is designed to work over the long term. With around £3 billion in assets, and a monthly compensation bill of around £4 million, the PPF is able to fund compensation for a long time to come.

Iraq Conflict

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to consult  (a) the leaders of opposition parties represented in the House and  (b) the Chair of the Public Administration Select Committee before announcing (i) the terms of reference and (ii) the composition of an inquiry into the Iraq war; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Prime Minister what the terms of reference of the planned inquiry into the Iraq war will be; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he plans to have with members of other political parties represented in the House on the terms of reference of the forthcoming inquiry into the war in Iraq.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Members to the statement I made to the House on 15 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 21-24.

Parliamentary Private Secretaries

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister which hon. Members act as Parliamentary Private Secretaries to Ministers in each department.

Gordon Brown: Following the recent reshuffle a list of parliamentary private secretaries will be published in the usual manner.

Senior Salaries Review Body

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to extend the remit of the Review Body on Senior Salaries to enable it to advise public bodies other than those specified in its existing terms of reference.

Gordon Brown: The Review Body on Senior Salaries (SSRB) provides independent advice on the remuneration of holders of judicial office; senior civil servants; senior officers of the armed forces, very senior NHS managers and other such public appointments as may from time to time be specified by the Prime Minister. Full details of the Review Body's remit can be found on the SSRB website:
	http://www.ome.uk.com/review.cfm?body=4.
	Appropriate pay setting mechanisms are already in place to cover public bodies other than those specified in this remit. In general, approval for the pay of chief executives of non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) is the responsibility of the parent department, in consultation with HM Treasury. In making their decision, departments take account of appropriate market comparators and public sector pay policy. The pay of other executives is normally included in an NDPB's pay remit, which is normally approved by the parent department.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Young People

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders given to children aged 10 to 17-years-old have had reporting restrictions imposed through the discretion of the court under section 39 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Campbell: The information requested is not available centrally.
	Antisocial behaviour orders are civil orders and therefore not automatically subject to reporting restrictions. ASBOs are designed to protect local communities and their effectiveness will depend on local people knowing about them. However, courts retain the power to impose reporting restrictions if they believe it appropriate to do so.

Entry Clearances

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the target time is for the processing of an application to the UK Border Agency for a sponsor licence; and what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum time taken to process an application for such a licence was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The target time for processing a sponsor licence application from 1 April 2009 is 20 working days. The average time taken to process an application is currently 34 days for applications received on or after 1 April 2009. This is due primarily to high volumes of applications in particular areas, each of which must be subject a rigorous set of checks.
	The maximum time taken to process an application was 274 days which was due to delays in receiving information from the sponsor organisation and difficulties trying to arrange and conduct a pre-licensing visit.

Entry Clearances

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 June 2009,  Official Report, columns 168-69W, on immigration: EU nationals, what steps he is taking to ensure that EEA residence cards are issued no later than six months after the date on which the application and documents are received.

Phil Woolas: The Secretary of State has increased the resources committed to European Casework. Improvements have also been made to the training and mentoring packages for caseworkers completing European applications, all of which has led to improved results.

Immigration Controls: Overseas Students

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many academic institutions have successfully registered as sponsors with the UK Border Agency under Tier 4 of the points-based immigration system; and how many such institutions made applications to register which were rejected.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 27 April 2009
	 There are at present just less than 1,600 educational establishments on the register of sponsors under tier 4 of the points-based system.
	Over 500 applications for sponsorship have been unsuccessful, including those applications rejected, refused and withdrawn, of which around 30 were from organisations identifying themselves as universities or educational establishments.
	Figures provided have been rounded to the nearest five.
	The figures quoted are not provided under National Statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Personal Records: Data Protection

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Epping Forest of 1 June 2009,  Official Report, column 174W, on personal records: data protection, for how long automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data are retained; and under what circumstances ANPR data are deleted from the National ANPR Data Centre.

Alan Johnson: ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) guidance states that ANPR data may be retained for an initial 90 days after collection for viewing by authorised persons for post crime interrogation and investigation. Data more than 90 days old may then be retained for up to two years if the operational need remains. However these data are partitioned from general viewing, access is only permitted for major and serious investigations and requires authorisation in each case by a senior officer. This is in line with responsibilities under the Data Protection Act (1984 and 1998).
	The National ANPR Data Centre is currently under development and test. Once in live operational use, ANPR data will be deleted as required by police forces in discharging their responsibilities under the Act. Data not required to be retained for operational purposes will be deleted automatically after a prescribed period, and this period will be determined through agreement between the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Policing Improvement Agency and the Information Commissioner's Office.

Air Force: Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF aircraft are in service; and what the  (a) target and  (b) actual number of each type of RAF aircraft fit for purpose is.

Quentin Davies: Information on the numbers of aircraft in service and fit for purpose (FFP) are given in the following table. Target figures are not used for all aircraft types and are included only where appropriate. The figures shown are a snapshot of the position on 31 May 2009.
	
		
			  Aircraft type  In service fleet  Target FFP  Actual FFP 
			 BAe 146 2 1 1 
			 BAe 125 6 3 3 
			 C-17 6 5 3 
			 Dominie 9 — 7 
			 Harrier 74 — 46 
			 Hawk Tl 129 — 88 
			 Hawk T2 8 — 6 
			 Hercules CI30K 14 7 7 
			 Hercules CI30J 24 15 14 
			 Nimrod MR2 11 8 6 
			 Nimrod R1 3 1 1 
			 Sea King (SARF) 25 17 10 
			 Sentinel 5 4 3 
			 Sentry 7 5 4 
			 Tornado F3 62 — 28 
			 Tornado GR4 138 — 89 
			 Tristar 9 6 4 
			 Tucano 95 — 55 
			 Typhoon 56 — 37 
			 VC10 16 12 9 
			 Vigilant 64 — 64 
			 Viking 82 — 82 
		
	
	'In service' has been taken to mean the effective fleet, which covers all aircraft barring those which are redundant, declared as surplus or awaiting disposal. Serviceable aircraft available to the front line commands for operational and training purposes are termed fit for purpose (FFP). Aircraft which are undergoing major servicing or routine maintenance are within the depth fleet and are therefore not relevant to this question.
	Additionally, in the process of answering this question an error in the Tristar 'in-service' fleet number has been identified in the written answer I provided to you on 23 April 2009,  Official Report, column 812W. The answer I provided stated that there were eight Tristars 'in-service' but the correct answer should have stated there were nine. This error occurred as one aircraft has been undergoing a major cockpit upgrade and was mistakenly not included in the 'in-service' fleet number.

Military Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the hourly cost of air-to-air refuelling of an RAF VC10 is.

Quentin Davies: The full-cost hourly rate of operating a VC10 tanker in the air for financial year 2009-10 is calculated to be £29,235. This figure incorporates a variety of costs to enable an aircraft to operate such as personnel costs, servicing of the aircraft and fuelling of the aircraft. It does not include the costs of the fuel payload VC10's carry to refuel other aircraft.

Military Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the out-of-service dates are for the  (a) VC10 and  (b) TriStar fleets.

Quentin Davies: Under current planning assumptions, the next VC10 will go out-of-service in June 2010 with the last of the fleet going out-of-service in September 2014. This progressive rundown is designed to ensure the smooth and efficient transition of air refuelling capability to the replacement Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft.
	The out-of-service dates of the TriStar KCl and C2 aircraft have been extended by one year to 2016 in order to allow the replacement capability, Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft, to be fitted with the most up to date protective measures for flying into operational areas. The out-of-service dates of both the VC10 and TriStar are kept under constant review as part of the Department's internal planning process.

Military Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports there were in respect of  (a) TriStar and  (b) VC10 aircraft in each year since 2003.

Quentin Davies: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	A Serious Fault Signal (SFS) is the reporting method used to notify the discovery of a fault that may have immediate and serious implications to an aircraft fleet, or range of equipment. The figures provided in the following table are the number of SFS reports received which are directly attributed to the TriStar and VC10.
	
		
			   Tri S tar  VC10 
			 2003 (1)— 0 
			 2004 3 4 
			 2005 0 2 
			 2006 0 2 
			 2007 2 1 
			 2008 2 4 
			 2009(2) 1 4 
			 (1) Records for 2003 are not held centrally. (2) Up until 1 June, the last full month for which data is available.

Olympic Games 2012

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many full-time equivalent members of staff in  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; how many of them are working on (i) project management, (ii) legacy planning, (iii) project oversight and (iv) financial oversight; and what plans he has for future staffing levels in each case.

Shahid Malik: For Communities and Local Government as at 1 July there will be approximately nine full-time equivalent staff working on different aspects of the Olympic programme within the central department. Within this figure around three full-time equivalents work on project and legacy management; three on project oversight; and one on financial oversight. The remainder, two full-time equivalents, work on administration and specialist risk management. There are no immediate plans for a change in the staffing levels but this will be kept under review.
	Within the Homes and Communities Agency and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, work on London 2012 Olympic issues is carried out as they arise in the course of normal business.

Benzodiazepines

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has evaluated on the safety of use of benzodiazepine tranquillisers in clinical practice; and whether it plans to  (a) update product information for prescribers and patients and  (b) take other steps in response to the findings of such research.

Mike O'Brien: The Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) continuously monitors the safety of all medicines in routine clinical practice in the United Kingdom, and where necessary, takes suitable action to safeguard public health.
	The MHRA uses a variety of methods of collecting information on medicines safety in clinical use. Health care professionals and patients are encouraged to report suspected adverse drug reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme, including the occurrence of dependence and addiction. Pharmaceutical companies are legally obliged to report such cases to the MHRA. These data are carefully and regularly screened to identify possible new drug safety signals.
	No new safety signals have been identified recently in relation to benzodiazepines which would require the further regulatory action individually or as a class. As new data become available the MHRA keeps the need for regulatory action under review.
	The current product information for health care professionals and patients accurately reflects the information known about the risks associated with benzodiazepine use and includes extensive warnings. Patient information leaflets are now being user tested to ensure that the advice is clear and accessible for patients.

Carers: Telephone Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the hours of operation are of the Carers Direct Hotline.

Phil Hope: The Carers Direct helpline is available from 8 am to 9 pm, Monday to Friday, and 11 am to 4 pm at weekends.

Heart Diseases: Health Services

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2009,  Official Report, column 1596W, on heart disease 
	(1)  how many finished consultant episodes for congenital heart disease in those aged 16 years old there were in each primary care trust area in 2007-08;
	(2)  how many of those consultant episodes involved a consultant whose specialism was paediatric cardiology there were in each NHS hospital trust.

Ann Keen: The following tables and notes show how many finished consultant episodes for congenital heart disease in those aged 16-years-old there were in primary care trust areas (where data has been submitted) in 2007-08. They also show, for grown-ups with congenital heart disease, how many consultant episodes involved a consultant whose specialism was paediatric cardiology in each national health service hospital trust.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes for congenital heart disease *  for those aged 16 only, by primary care trust (PCT) of treatment, 2007-08. Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  PCT code  PCT name  Total episodes 
			 5D7 Newcastle PCT * 
			 5J9 Darlington PCT * 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 31 
			 5L1 Southampton City PCT * 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 26 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT * 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 7 
			 5M1 South Birmingham PCT * 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 7 
			 5N1 Leeds PCT 8 
			 5N4 Sheffield PCT * 
			 5N6 Derbyshire County PCT * 
			 5N9 Lincolnshire Teaching PCT * 
			 5NL Liverpool PCT 10 
			 5NT Manchester PCT * 
			 5NV North Yorkshire and York PCT * 
			 5P2 Bedfordshire PCT * 
			 5P8 Hastings and Rother PCT * 
			 5PC Leicester City PCT 10 
			 5PW North East Essex PCT * 
			 5QE Oxfordshire PCT * 
			 5QJ Bristol PCT * 
			 5QQ Devon PCT * 
			  Total 130 
		
	
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes for congenital heart disease* for those aged 16 and over by paediatric cardiology specialty and hospital provider, 2007-08. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Hospital provider code  Hospital provider name  Total  e pisodes 
			 RA7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust 56 
			 RBS Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust 15 
			 RHM Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust * 
			 RJ1 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 61 
			 RP4 Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Trust 264 
			 RQ3 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 13 
			 RR8 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 76 
			 RT3 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust 14 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust * 
			 RWE University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust 84 
			  Total 593 
			  Notes:   Consultant main specialty This defines the specialty under which the consultant responsible for the care of the patient at that time is registered. Care is needed when analysing Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as "acute"). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other patient or service information.  Ungrossed data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). Finished Consultant Episode (FCE A finished consultant episode (FCE) is defined as a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. The figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year.  Primary diagnosis The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. *The following ICD-10 codes have been used: Q20—Congenital malformations of cardiac chambers and connections Q21—Congenital malformations of cardiac septa Q22—Congenital malformations of pulmonary and tricuspid valves Q23—Congenital malformations of aortic and mitral valves Q24—Other congenital malformations of heart.  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. Data is also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Small numbers To protect patient confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with "*" (an asterisk). Where it was possible to identify numbers from the total due to a single suppressed number in a row or column, an additional number (the next smallest) has been suppressed.  PCT/SHA data quality PCT and SHA data was added to historic data years in the HES database using 2002-03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of treatment and SHA of treatment is poor in 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99, with over a third of ail finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of general practitioner (GP) practice and SHA of GP practice in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data.  Hospital providers A provider code is a unique code that identifies an organisation acting as a health care provider (e.g. NHS trust or PCT). Hospital providers can also include Treatment Centres (TC). Treatment Centres (also known as Diagnostic Centres) provide elective (planned) surgery for a range of conditions, mainly for day surgery or short-term hospital stay patients. Some Treatment Centres are attached to hospital trusts and HES enables data for these to be separately identified from the rest of the health care provider's data. It does this by adding TC to the trust code; if there is more than one per Trust T1, T2, T3 etc. are suggested unless already in use by the trust. Activity performed in the remainder of the trust is identified by the health care provider code being followed by an 'X'. Hospital providers beginning with an 'N' indicates an independent sector health care provider.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Influenza

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued on the provision to local authorities of influenza pandemic preparedness plans produced by  (a) primary care trusts,  (b) hospital trusts,  (c) health protection units and  (d) local resilience forums; and what guidance has been issued on co-operation between health authorities and local authorities on (i) overview and (ii) scrutiny of such plans.

Gillian Merron: All departmental guidance, whether produced primarily for the health or social care sector, emphasises the need for multi-agency planning and response.
	Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) and Influenza Planning Committees (IPCs) are multi-agency groups, with representatives from primary care trusts (PCTs), local authorities (human resources, emergency planners, adult and children's social care leads, coroners), acute hospital trusts, health protection units, independent and third sector providers, and the police. Multi-agency Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs), chaired by a chief executive, may also approve final pandemic flu plans.
	PCTs have lead responsibility for pandemic planning and response locally. It is the role of the PCT to consult with their partner local authority and to share plans. Some local authority social care departments have a joint pandemic flu plan with their local PCT.
	The Department has produced guidance for PCTs stating the duty on national health service organisations to consult local overview and scrutiny committees if they are considering substantial variations in local health services, however, it is for individual local authorities to present such plans to relevant overview and scrutiny committees.
	The Department has also produced comprehensive guidance for social care commissioners and providers and these also emphasise the importance of joint working. Copies of the guidance, which consists of nine modules (eight of which have been published) have been placed in the Library.

Strokes: Rural Areas

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how his Department plans to implement the national stroke strategy in rural areas; and how much funding has been provided to that end in 2009-10.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts receive funding to commission services according to local needs and priorities. Extra funding has gone to national health service primary care trusts to implement, among other things, the stroke strategy and additional central funding over three years is available to help accelerate improvements in services, including those in rural areas. There are 28 stroke networks in England within the Stroke Improvement Programme, which are helping to develop innovative solutions to local problems, including issues of rurality.
	Commissioners and service providers locally will need to ensure they take into account the challenges posed by rural locations—for example in ensuring that patients have access to time critical services such as thrombolysis.

Swine Flu

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the reasons are for the time taken to make available the national pandemic influenza service; on what date he expects the service to be available; and what contingency arrangements have been made for circumstances in which swine influenza spreads at a rate more rapid than that assumed for the purposes of his Department's existing arrangements for the distribution of anti-viral treatments.

Gillian Merron: With an innovative system such as the full National Pandemic Flu Service it was essential that there was rigorous scrutiny to ensure that the system would both work and offer value for money to the United Kingdom taxpayer. This inevitably led to some delays in signing the contract with British Telecom. The contract for the development of the system was signed with BT in December 2008.
	The contingency arrangements, should the current outbreak spread at a more rapid rate, are that an interim National Pandemic Flu Service has been put in place to supplement the assessment and authorisation processes . The interim service has been tested and consists of a phone service that the public can access through a single 0800 number, and a supporting website application. That will mean that people can have their symptoms assessed either over the phone or online. If it is established that they have developed swine flu, they will be issued with an authorisation number that they will then be able to use to access antivirals in a timely and appropriate way.
	The full National Pandemic Flu Service will be ready in the autumn, having been fully tested.

Crimes of Violence: Sentencing

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length was of sentences  (a) handed down to and  (b) served by those who were convicted of (i) violence against the person, (ii) sexual offences and (iii) robbery in 2007.

Jack Straw: The following table shows the average length of a determinate immediate custodial sentence for 2007.
	
		
			  Average length of immediate custodial sentence( 1)  in months for 2007 
			   Average length 
			 Violence against the person 16.9 
			 Sexual offences 42.9 
			 Robbery 31.3 
			 (1) Excludes life and indeterminate sentences.  Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. 2. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.  Source: OMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	These figures can all be found in table 2.12 of Sentencing Statistics 2007 available at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
	It is not possible to provide data on time served for those prisoners convicted in 2007 because some will still be serving their sentences. If the offence was committed on or after 4 April 2005, release arrangements are covered by the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) 2003, where either a standard determinate sentence, Extended Sentence for Public Protection or Imprisonment for Public Protection would apply. The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 amended certain sentences from the CJA 2003. Life sentence prisoners are released under the terms of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997.
	Average time served in prison for 2007 could be found in table 9.1 of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2007 available at the following link:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonand probation.htm
	This data is based on the principal offence. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence it is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed, where the same sentence has been imposed for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe.

Reparation by Offenders: Clothing

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of offenders used high-visibility clothing whilst undertaking community payback work in the last period for which figures are available.

Jack Straw: The use of distinctive high visibility clothing by offenders sentenced to Community Payback is monitored centrally by the number of hours worked. The number of offenders using high visibility clothing is not recorded. The last period for which figures are available is March, when 76.25 per cent. of the hours worked by offenders on Community Payback projects potentially in view of the public, were undertaken using distinctive clothing.
	Exemptions to the use of distinctive clothing may be granted where convincing evidence is provided on the basis of health and safety concerns, or business risk to the organisation benefiting from the work. Probation areas have successfully engaged with beneficiary organisations to increase the proportion of hours worked using distinctive high visibility clothing. The hours worked using distinctive clothing increased from 210,974 hours in December 2008 to 401,680 in March 2009. Distinctive clothing is not worn on work projects taking place on enclose premises, such as workshops, where the work done by offenders is not potentially in view of the public.

Social Work Taskforce

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will publish all of his correspondence with the Social Work Taskforce.

Dawn Primarolo: The Social Work Task Force was created in December 2008, to look at front line social work practice and to recommend how in the light of their conclusions, improvements could be made as part of a long term programme of reform for social work. The Secretaries of State for Health and for Children, Young People and Families, wrote to Moira Gibb, chair of the Social Work Task Force on 5 December 2008 to lay out this remit. This letter was copied to the other members of the task force with their invitations to join, and placed in the House Libraries.
	The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families wrote to Moira Gibb again, in her position as chair of the Social Work Task Force, regarding Lord Laming's recommendations in his Progress Report on the Protection of Children in England on 12 March 2009. This letter was also placed in the House Libraries.
	Moira Gibb wrote to the Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families, and for Health on 5 May 2009 with the Social Work Task Force's first report, which outlined its initial findings. The Task Force is expected to submit a further report in July, in advance of their full recommendations in October 2009.